(Mashable) -- Foxconn, a company that manufacturers parts used in Apple's iPhone and iPad, said it aims to replace workers with 1 million robots in the next three years, Xinhuanet reports.

The robots will be assigned simple tasks currently done by human workers, such as welding and assembling parts. Foxconn currently has 10,000 robots; in the next year, this number should jump to 300,000 and up to one million in the next three years.

With the move, the company aims to cut labor expenses and improve efficiency, Foxconn CEO Terry Gou said at a workers' dance party on Friday.

Foxconn has a massive operation in China with about 1 million workers. The company caught the headlines after a string of suicides which prompted HP, Apple, Sony and other companies to launch an investigation into Foxconn's business practices.

More recently, an explosion in Foxconn's Chengdu plant in China left two people dead and 16 injured.